Post of the Day
How to make the world affordably carbon-free
Researchers have crunched the numbers and come up with some surprising answers.
Today’s Celebration
De Diego’s Birthday – Puerto Rico
Librarian Day (School) – United States of America
Militia Day – Cuba
Qana Memorial Day – Lebanon
Queen Margrethes birthday – Denmark
Queen’s Birthday – Greenland
Remembrance of Chemical Attack on Balisan and Sheikh Wasan – Iraqi Kurdistan
Memorial Day for the Victims of the Holocaust – Hungary
Emancipation Day (DC) – United States of America
Climate Change
Climate change rallies block London roads
Thousands of activists led by Extinction Rebellion have blocked major roads in London to demand action on climate change, and promised to keep it up a week.
A lawyer set himself on fire to protest climate change. Did anyone care?
David Buckel hoped his death would catalyze action. But what is individual responsibility when confronted with the crisis of a rapidly changing planet?
Could climate change cause infertility?
A number of plant and animal species could find it increasingly difficult to reproduce if climate change worsens and global temperatures become more extreme — a stark warning highlighted by new scientific research.
Climate change could undermine children’s education and development in the tropics
Education of children is one of the ambitious goals for sustainable development as a way to alleviate poverty and reduce vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters. Yet, a new study by a University of Maryland researcher published in the April 15, 2019, issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concludes that exposure to extreme heat and precipitation in prenatal and early childhood years in countries of the global tropics could make it harder for children to attain secondary school education, even for better-off households.
Warming Arctic permafrost releasing large amounts of potent greenhouse gas
A recent study shows that nitrous oxide emissions from thawing Alaskan permafrost are about twelve times higher than previously assumed.
Climate change could unleash long-frozen radiation
Atomic bombs, Chernobyl, Fukushima – radiation has traveled and frozen all over the world. Global warming is changing that.
Study finds potential link between antimicrobial resistance and climate change
While still too early to tell, new research suggests antimicrobial resistance may be linked to the onset of climate change.
Climate change means nearly all glaciers in the Alps may disappear
A study of what will happen to glaciers in the Alps under various climate scenarios suggests they will almost completely disappear if we keep pumping out carbon dioxide
Feel overwhelmed by climate change? Here are five things ordinary people can do.
Is there really anything meaningful that any one of us can do to help?
Only rebellion will prevent an ecological apocalypse
George Monbiot
No one is coming to save us. Mass civil disobedience is essential to force a political response.
National
‘Environment crisis’: Wilderness Society pursues parties over election commitments
Green group’s intervention seen as a hurry up to Labor, which is yet to produce its final policy
Australian-designed solar panel firm looks to shake-up booming sector
Australian designed and manufactured solar panel firm Solpod wants to disrupt the Australian solar sector.
What is The Greens’ vision for the social sector?
Greens Senator Rachel Siewert says protecting charitable advocacy and ensuring community organisations are properly funded will be her party’s major priorities in Australia’s next Parliament, as the federal election campaign heats up.
The fight for a (food) waste free world
As the CEO and founder of food rescue charity OzHarvest, Ronni Kahn is not only helping to feed disadvantaged Australians, but she is turning the food-waste debate on its head globally.
Thirsty soil, hard politics [$]
Farmers cry “dry’’ but may lack the clout to change the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Heat wave in Australia kills 23K flying foxes
Temperatures reached over 107 degrees for several days, leading to the death of around 23,000 flying foxes.
Time to ditch climate war: Hewson [$]
Former Liberal leader John Hewson has told business and energy leaders the federal election will be fought on global warming.
Rio Tinto promises not to undermine renewables – and not to prop up coal
Fresh from its own exit from coal, mining giant Rio Tinto promises to support renewables’ key role in climate action, and exhorts industry lobby to do the same, or…
AEMO to model rapid transition to renewables, quicker exit from coal
The Australian Energy Market Operator is to include modelling for a rapid transition to renewables, a quicker exit from coal generation, and even a zero emissions grid as part of its next Integrated System Plan.
Rooftop solar to add 2,000MW in 2019, another Liddell by 2022
Australia’s booming rooftop solar market on track to deliver more than 2GW of capacity in 2019, and enough to replace Liddell coal plant by its closing date of 2022.
Woolworths green bond flooded with orders as retailer looks to solar, efficiency
Woolworths green bond – “first ever” by a retail supermarket company – raises more than enough to finance installation of rooftop solar, energy efficient lighting and fridges.
Here’s why electric cars have plenty of grunt, oomph and torque
Jake Whitehead
Australian politicians, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, have raised the question of electric vehicles’ capacity for “grunt”.
Morrison boasts how the Coalition fixed our ‘climate deficit’ [$]
Bernard Keane
Australia had a “climate deficit” under Labor, says Scott Morrison, but that’s now been fixed by the Coalition. And he’s absolutely right.
It’s time for a smarter RET that recognises flexible generation
Keith Lovegrove
The RET should be extended, but also adapted to encourage “flexible” capacity that recognises and amplifies the varying time value of generated renewable electricity.
Victoria
Moves to tackle toxic Vic waste problems
Chemical waste in Victoria will be electronically tracked from July so it is better monitored after several toxic warehouse fires.
Vic recycler told to stop accepting waste
Another Melbourne recycling company has been ordered to stop accepting waste until its stockpiles comply with law.
Generation lost: Power, privatisation and the shrinking Latrobe Valley
The rationalisation of the power industry in the 1990s led to widespread job losses in eastern Victoria, and the impact on community and sporting clubs is still being felt a quarter of a century later.
Worries build over Victorian electricity default offer [$]
Retailers are warning that the benefits to flow to a few customers from a regulated price may be outweighed by harm to many others.
How Melbourne could change in 30 years [$]
Victoria’s peak infrastructure body has called on governments to rethink their approach to density and decentralisation as the state’s population continues to soar.
New South Wales
Land clearing is stressing koalas: report
Land clearing and bushfires are the biggest causes of stress for wild koalas, according to NSW research of stress hormones in faecal samples.
Anger at alt-right linked Nat’s promotion
Senior NSW Nationals are “dumbfounded” a figure linked to the recent alt-right infiltration of the party’s youth wing has been appointed to a plum ministerial job, while Labor is demanding he be removed.
ACT
Canberra light rail stations already prompting businesses to move
One of the most powerful real estate moguls in the Australian capital says that business is already relocating because of the light-rail network.
Queensland
‘Unprecedented’ change coming to transport network [$]
Queenslanders will zip around in driverless drones, shunning car ownership for a new network of transport options under the State Government’s vision for the future. And it’s coming sooner than you think.
Cattle, infrastructure losses worse than first thought for Qld livestock producers
Farm lobby AgForce says more than $800 million in sheep and cattle died during the worst floods seen for 50 years. In total, the damage bill could be pushing $2 billion.
Climate warning signs demanding action
Michelle and Tim Coelli
The autumn colours of the vines are gorgeous this time of year on our vineyard in Queensland’s Granite Belt, with the native forest surrounding us also displaying a peppering of greens, browns and oranges. From a distance it looks almost European.
Know your NEM: Do Queensland unions hate solar more than hard right?
David Leitch
Do unions in Queensland hate renewable energy as much as the hard right? Meanwhile, Queensland’s Labor government shown up by S.A. Liberals.
Voters taken for fools over Adani [$]
Peter Gleeson
Adani delays Let’s cut to the chase. The Palaszczuk Government is presiding over a national scandal by stalling the Adani project’
South Australia
SA farmers face big water cuts
South Australian farmers relying on the Murray may be hit with big cuts to their water allocations in the coming year.
Climate change protesters forcibly removed
A small group of climate change protesters refused to leave Parliament’s Lower House on Monday, after earlier pretending to be on a group tour.
Shareholders urged to revolt against oil drilling in The Bight
Shareholders in the Norwegian oil giant Equinor have been urged to vote against its plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight at the company’s annual general meeting.
Tasmania
Federal Court decides on appeal against Tassal’s Okehampton Bay fish farm
An appeal against a Federal Court decision to allow Tassal to operate a fish farm in Okehampton Bay has been in part upheld.
Liberals pledge $7.2m in Freycinet facelift funding
Freycinet National Park has been given a $7.2 million nod in the federal budget.
Chance to have your say on cable car [$]
More than 700 submissions have been made to Hobart City Council ahead of a blockbuster meeting regarding two hot topics — the cable car and building heights.
Smokey season in full swing [$]
Tasmania’s annual autumn forest burn-off season is in full swing with fires lit around Maydena, Judbury and south west of Smithton today and many more planned before the end of May.
Northern Territory
Kakadu attractions set to open early for Easter [$]
Kakadu National Park rangers are expecting a busy weekend ahead with two major attractions expected to open early for the Easter long weekend after a relatively dry wet season
Western Australia
Chevron may sell LNG stake [$]
Chevron may sell its stake in the North West Shelf LNG plant following its $US50 billion ($70bn) takeover of Anadarko Petroleum.
Water price hike could see parched WA farmers’ bills triple
WA farmers already resorting to desperate and expensive measures to keep their stock alive are now facing a 200 per cent increase in water costs. Some fear they will be driven to breaking point.
Aggressive wasp with no predators found building ‘super nests’ in Australia’s last line of defence
Western Australia is the only place inhabited by humans to have successfully stopped the highly aggressive European wasp from taking hold, prompting experts to declare a biosecurity incident as numbers escalate.
Sustainability
Coke to cut plastic use by 10,000 tonnes
Coca-Cola Amatil will double its use of recycled plastic by the end of the year, with seven in 10 bottles to be made from recycled plastic.
Japan begins massive nuclear pool clean-up after Fukushima disaster
The process involves taking out spent nuclear fuel rods by using remote-controlled cranes to lift hundreds of radioactive cylinders from a highly contaminated reactor site.
UP village becomes renewable energy model with 100% solar power use
The solar-powered village in Chakanwala Panchayat named ‘Mandironwala Bhuddi’ has no electricity poles but is completely lit up using solar power
India To Auction Transmission Projects Worth $5 Billion To Support RE Expansion
To ensure that the rapidly expanding renewable energy capacity and planned auctions of large-scale solar and wind energy projects have the adequate transmission capacity to supply power to demand centers across the country, India has announced expansive plans to set up transmission projects.
4 ways to cut plastic’s growing greenhouse gas emissions
Every stage of plastic’s life cycle, from fossil fuel extraction to disposal, produces greenhouse gases. A new study looked at ways to lower the toll.
China, India economic development key to achieving MDG for safe drinking water
Research led by The University of Tokyo examined why the United Nations Millennium Development Goal for access to safe drinking water was achieved when all previous attempts had failed. They looked at previous targets, definitions of water safety, and relations with population movement and socioeconomic change. They found keys to success were the relatively easier and somewhat ambiguous targets, huge population migration in China and urban and rural development in India, and economic development.
How to make the world affordably carbon-free
Researchers have crunched the numbers and come up with some surprising answers.
Why electric vehicles will be the norm sooner than we think
Manufacturers—not limited to Tesla, but also major ones like Toyota and Volkswagen—will be launching several EVs, and by 2022 most carmakers’ lineups will be 50% traditional vehicles and 50% EVs.
Winds carry microplastics ‘everywhere’ – even on to remote mountaintops
Study finds even supposedly pristine region of the Pyrenees is polluted, but impact on human health remains unknown
‘We need millions of people to be imperfectly sustainable’
In the past, shopping sustainably for clothing likely meant a trip to an “eco-friendly” store somewhere in the “granola belt” in a major city.
What do you do with your food scraps when you live in an apartment?
Avid gardener Rabia Markham grows vegetables in a community garden, but apartment living leaves her struggling to find somewhere to compost the scraps.
Electric cars are good news for copper miners
Matthew Stevens
Given the rise of renewable energy and of electric vehicles, US copper demand is expected to grow by multiples over the coming decade and beyond.
Only rebellion will prevent an ecological apocalypse
George Monbiot
No one is coming to save us. Mass civil disobedience is essential to force a political response.
Nature Conservation
Rare female turtle dies in China, leaving behind only three others
China’s last female Yangtze giant softshell turtle has died. Now, only three remain in the world.
Real destruction of illegal gold mines on Amazon rainforest revealed
There’s a vast stretch of the Amazon called Madre de Dios. This once-pristine jungle has been stripped by illegal miners, leaving a desolate scar in the earth.
There’s no ‘garbage patch’ in the Southern Indian Ocean, so where does all the rubbish go?
Mirjam van der Mheen et al
Great areas of our rubbish are known to form in parts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. But no such “garbage patch” has been found in the Southern Indian Ocean.
Now for something completely different …
Explainer: When does pre-polling open for the federal election?
The federal election is happening on Saturday, May 18. But what if you can’t make it to a polling booth that day? Here are the various ways you cast your vote early.
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